FIRSTSample

The Significance of the Small

By Marcus Brecheen

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 (NIV)

Years ago, the youth pastor of a large church arrived for church on a Sunday morning to find the sidewalks a mess. There had been a wedding there the night before, but the cleaning crew had forgotten to sweep the sidewalks. He went into his office to prepare for worship when there was a knock at his door. The senior pastor, holding a broom, asked him to sweep the sidewalks before everyone arrived. Not wanting to be openly rebellious, he took the broom and went outside to sweep, but he did so in a huff. As he swept, he began to angrily remind God that he was called to influence the nations. Surely somebody with “less of a call” should be asked to sweep the sidewalks! Before he finished sweeping, God spoke to him and said, “How can I trust you with the nations if I can’t trust you with the sidewalks?”

God often orchestrates beautiful opportunities for us to see our own hearts. Whatever you’re doing right now has been orchestrated by God with two things in mind. First, He wants to see if you’ll be faithful with things that may not seem to matter very much (to you). Secondly, He wants to prepare you for something greater. Through Scripture and our circumstances, God is constantly teaching us to “not despise the day of small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10).

When we think about the issue of stewardship, we don’t automatically realize that part of what God calls us to steward is our scope of influence, and many of us would like a broader scope of people to influence. In and of itself, that’s not a bad thing. It’s part of being made in God’s image and likeness. But what happens to most of us is that, during the day of small beginnings, we become convinced that God has forgotten us. Joseph was in prison while God was preparing him to rule over the entire Egyptian kingdom. David was watching sheep while God was developing him into a king. I’m sure it didn’t feel like kingly preparation for both of them at the time. But God always has a purpose in everything He calls us to.

In his book, Can You Stand To Be Blessed?, T.D. Jakes writes that the ability to walk in the blessings of the Lord and our full potential is tied to our ability to discern the prerequisites for success. If we’re not fully prepared for the influence God desires to give us, we may well find ourselves promoted to a place we cannot maintain. Our preparation for greater influence, while difficult, is a gift from God, just as much as the promotion will be later.

Jesus wasn’t born casting out demons and healing the sick. That came much later in His life. He first had to learn obedience through the things that caused Him to suffer (Hebrews 5:8). Many of those things were so small they weren’t even recorded in Scripture. But they were extremely significant because they prepared Jesus for great things later.

What are the things in your life that seem small? Regardless of what it is, you have influence there. Remember the youth pastor who swept the sidewalks? He learned a great lesson that Sunday morning, and today he preaches to thousands of people around the world. His education that morning was in the classroom of humility, in a thing that seemed small to him but was great to God. Do everything — especially the small things — as unto the Lord. You’re being prepared for greater influence than you can ever imagine!

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily.

~ Sally Koch

Memory Verse

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33